Peace Corps Announces Top Volunteer-Producing States and Metropolitan Areas in 2017

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Peace Corps Announces Top Volunteer-Producing States and Metropolitan Areas in 2017

WASHINGTON
– The Peace Corps today released its 2017 rankings of the top volunteer-producing
states and metropolitan areas across the country. New York-Northern New
Jersey-Long Island is again the largest metropolitan-area producer of
volunteers, after losing that designation to current No. 2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria in 2016.

For
the second straight year, Missoula, Montana, holds the No. 1 spot for top metro
areas per capita, followed by No. 2 Charlottesville, Virginia, which last made
the annual rankings in 2011. Ithaca, New York (No. 3), Fort Collins, Colorado
(No. 5), and Ann Arbor, Michigan (No. 9), also returned to the per capita
metros list in 2017.

The
District of Columbia became the No. 1 state per capita while California retained
its No. 1 position on the total volunteer-producing states list. Washington
State, Virginia, and Maryland appear in all four ranking categories.

“Peace
Corps volunteers come from all corners of our nation to create grassroots level
change in our world,” said Peace Corps Chief Executive Officer Sheila Crowley.
“Volunteers share their hometown values and perspectives with the host
communities they serve, an intercultural exchange that leaves a legacy of peace
and friendship. We are deeply grateful to the extraordinary communities in the
U.S. which produce citizens with such a strong sense of purpose.”

The
Peace Corps is unique among service organizations because our volunteers live
and work at the community level. Service in the Peace Corps is a life-defining,
hands-on leadership experience that offers volunteers the opportunity to travel
to the farthest corners of the world and make a lasting difference in the lives
of others. Applicants can apply to specific programs by visiting the Peace Corps website and connecting with a
recruiter.

Below
find the nation’s top 10 volunteer-producing states and metropolitan areas for
2017. View the list of volunteer numbers from all 50 states here.

2017 Top
States – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)

1. District
of Columbia – 8.8

2. Vermont–
6.7

3.
Montana – 4.9

4. Oregon
– 4.3

4. Rhode
Island – 4.3

6. Virginia
– 4.2

7.
Maryland – 4.1

7. Washington
– 4.1

9. Maine
– 4.0

10. Colorado
– 3.9

10. Minnesota
– 3.9

2017 Top
States – Total Volunteers

1.
California – 873

2. New
York – 485

3. Florida
– 355

4. Virginia
– 352

5. Texas
– 327

6.
Illinois – 325

7. Washington
– 300

8. Pennsylvania
– 296

9. Michigan
– 266

10. Maryland
– 250

2017 Top
Metropolitan Areas – Per Capita (# of volunteers per 100,000 residents)

1.
Missoula, MT – 11.9

2. Charlottesville,
VA – 9.9

3. Ithaca,
NY – 9.8

3. Boulder,
CO – 9.8

5. Fort
Collins-Loveland, CO – 9.7

6. Burlington-South
Burlington, VT – 9.5

7. Olympia,
WA – 7.9

8.
Madison, WI – 7.4

9. Ann
Arbor, MI – 7.3

10. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria,
DC-VA-MD-WV – 7.2

2017 Top
Metropolitan Areas – Total Volunteers

1.
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA – 418

2.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV – 403

3.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA – 273

4.
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL-IN-WI – 258

5.
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH– 182

6.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA – 175

7.
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI – 174

8.
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD – 154

9.
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA – 147

10.
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA – 126

*Peace
Corps data current as of September 30, 2017. The metropolitan area data used to
determine Peace Corps’ rankings are derived from the most current U.S. Census
Bureau “Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area” data. Volunteers
self-report their home city and state on their Peace Corps application.

About the Peace Corps: The Peace Corps sends Americans with a passion for service abroad on behalf of the United States to work with communities and create lasting change. Volunteers develop sustainable solutions to address challenges in education, health, community economic development, agriculture, environment and youth development. Through their Peace Corps experience, volunteers gain a unique cultural understanding and a life-long commitment to service that positions them to succeed in today's global economy. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, more than 230,000 Americans of all ages have served in 141 countries worldwide.